With an increase in a quantity of cores of a processor-on-chip, a network-on-chip is gradually applied to a system-on-chip. Because an optical interconnection has a higher bandwidth, lower power consumption, a shorter latency, and smaller crosstalk and electromagnetic interference, an optical network-on-chip based on an optical interconnection manner emerges as the time requires. The optical network-on-chip includes at least one routing node. Each routing node may be connected to one device. The device may download an optical signal from the optical network-on-chip using the routing node to which the device is connected, and the device may upload an optical signal to the optical network-on-chip using the routing node to which the device is connected.
In some approaches, a routing node is provided. Referring to FIG. 1, the routing node includes: a beam splitter 101, an optical delay unit 102, a wavelength division demultiplexer 103, a tunable wavelength converter 104, a wavelength router 105, a first variable multi-wavelength optical buffer unit 106, a second variable multi-wavelength optical buffer unit 107, a wavelength division multiplexer 108, a feedback waveguide delay loop 109, and a control unit 110. One end of the beam splitter 101 is connected to a device, and another end of the beam splitter 101 is connected to one end of the optical delay unit 102. Another end of the optical delay unit 102 is connected to one end of the wavelength division demultiplexer 103, and another end of the wavelength division demultiplexer 103 is connected to one end of the tunable wavelength converter 104. Another end of the tunable wavelength converter 104 is connected to one end of the wavelength router 105, and another end of the wavelength router 105 is connected to one end of the first variable multi-wavelength optical buffer unit 106. Another end of the first variable multi-wavelength optical buffer unit 106 is connected to one end of the wavelength division multiplexer 108, and another end of the wavelength division multiplexer 108 is connected to a next routing node. Another end of the wavelength router 105 is further connected to one end of the second variable multi-wavelength optical buffer unit 107, and another end of the second variable multi-wavelength optical buffer unit 107 is connected to one end of the feedback waveguide delay loop 109. Another end of the feedback waveguide delay loop 109 is connected to one end of the tunable wavelength converter 104. Another end of the beam splitter 101 is further connected to one end of the control unit 110, and another end of the control unit 110 is connected to one end of the tunable wavelength converter 104.
An optical signal transmission method based on the routing node provided in some approaches is: An optical signal is transmitted to the beam splitter 101. The beam splitter 101 divides the optical signal into a first optical signal and a second optical signal, and transmits the first optical signal to the control unit 110 and transmits the second optical signal to the optical delay unit 102. The optical delay unit 102 lowers a transmission rate of the second optical signal, and transmits the second optical signal to the wavelength division demultiplexer 103. The wavelength division demultiplexer 103 transmits the second optical signal to the tunable wavelength converter 104. The control unit 110 parses the first optical signal, to acquire an identifier of a destination routing node of the optical signal. The control unit 110 determines, according to the identifier of the destination routing node, whether an output port required by the destination routing node is currently in an idle state or a busy state. If the control unit 110 determines that the output port required by the destination routing node is in a busy state, the control unit 110 sends a first control signal to the tunable wavelength converter 104, such that the tunable wavelength converter 104 adjusts a wavelength of the second optical signal to a wavelength required by the second variable multi-wavelength optical buffer unit 107 and transmits the adjusted second optical signal to the wavelength router 105. The wavelength router 105 transmits the adjusted second optical signal to the second variable multi-wavelength optical buffer unit 107. The second variable multi-wavelength optical buffer unit 107 transmits the adjusted second optical signal to the feedback waveguide delay loop 109, such that the second optical signal is circularly stored in the feedback waveguide delay loop 109. When the output port required by the destination routing node of the optical signal is in an idle state, the control unit 110 sends a second control signal to the tunable wavelength converter 104, such that the tunable wavelength converter 104 adjusts a wavelength of the second optical signal to a wavelength required by the first variable multi-wavelength optical buffer unit 106 and transmits the adjusted second optical signal to the wavelength router 105. The wavelength router 105 transmits the adjusted second optical signal to the first variable multi-wavelength optical buffer unit 106. The first variable multi-wavelength optical buffer unit 106 transmits the adjusted second optical signal to the wavelength division multiplexer 108. The wavelength division multiplexer 108 transmits the adjusted second optical signal to the destination routing node.
In a process of implementing the present disclosure, the inventor finds that some approaches have at least the following problem:
Because the control unit 110 has control and arbitration functions, design for circuits in the control unit 110 is complex. Moreover, excessive complex components are used in the routing node, which does not facilitate integration on a single chip.